Before you begin partaking in any form of legal gambling in Canada, it’s important you understand at a basic level what those Canadian Gambling Laws are and how they effect you and the gambling market in Canada.
In Canada, criminal laws are enforced at a federal level, whereas Canadian gambling laws are enforced at a provincial level. This means that criminal laws are identical throughout all provinces whereas gambling laws differ substantially from province to province throughout the country.
This page is designed to keep you informed on the legal gambling options along with their rules and regulations that are implemented in the country and its respective provinces. Gambling laws can vary from nation to nation so it is imperative you stay informed on them and any changes being made in the foreseeable future so that you don’t end up breaking any laws.
The New Order in Ontario
Ontario is currently leading Canadian provinces in setting clearer regulations regarding gambling laws. The AGCO has crafted a proposal for a framework for iGaming in Ontario that would allow it to operate as close to an open market as possible, given the condition that the government remains as the main party to manage regulations around gaming, not private enterprise. This was a bold and leading move by the provincial body and was surprisingly accepted with speed and urgency.
In the 2019 Budget, the government made clear its intention to build a market for iGaming in Ontario that is “both competitive and protects consumers”. Later in 2020, the provincial government introduced a law that granted the AGCO the main authority in conducting and managing iGaming policy and regulations, granting the organization the right and responsibility of “managing the relationship between government and private gaming sectors”.
In March of 2021, the AGCO began making significant advances in having most members of the gaming industry, including off-shore operators participate in consultations with the primary goal of getting everyone “inside the tent” and on the same page. At this same time, the subsidiary iGaming Ontario was created, also popularly known as IGO.
Since the AGCO’s meetings and the inception of the IGO, things have been moving relatively fast in the iGaming space. This is especially true considering the fact that we moved from a government monopoly in the gaming space to what seems to be very close to an open and regulated market with multiple participants.
Other Provinces
None of the other provinces in Canada have shown any indication of following Ontario’s lead just yet. It is more than likely they are sitting back and waiting to see the success of Ontario’s endeavour, and the market share Ontario will be able to pull out for itself, especially from the gray-area market. Many provincial attorneys and politicians are divided on this issue, although it doesn’t seem quite apparent yet whether other provinces will openly challenge the legalities of the new framework set by AGCO and its IGO subsidiary.